KVA Featured Artist — Stefanie Culbertson
Kailua Village Artists featured artist for the month of January is watercolor painter and digital designer Stefanie Culbertson.
Culbertson has been painting with watercolors since she first moved to Hawaii in 1989 from Germany. Her fascination with the lush beauty of this island continues to inspire her art and she has grown deep roots here. She earned her AA degrees in Liberal Arts and Drama and her BA in Digital Design. Culbertson started her own business Tiffany Arts Designs in 2006, immediately after graduating, painting and selling her art, working on commissions and creating digital designs.
Among the new watercolor paintings Culbertson will be featuring is “Pelehonuamea” Volcano Goddess of Hawaii.
Her “Pele’s Rendezvous” is a playful portrait of Pele churning the lava flowing into the ocean with a mischievous smile, while her handsome lover glides out of the barrel on his surfboard with grace toward a steamy rendezvous between the elements of water and fire. In the background an angel is praying for grace at the mountain top, surrounded by lava rivers running rapid, consuming a cross on the other peak with her fire.
To meet the artist and talk story about her latest works, Culbertson will be working at the gallery on Saturdays, Jan. 11, 18 and 25.
The Kailua Village Artists Gallery is located at 75-5729 Alii Drive, Suite C-110 in the Kona Marketplace in Kailua-Kona. The gallery is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Info: 329-6653, visit the website: kailuavillageartists.com or on Facebook: kailuavillageartists.
BSA Artist of the Month — Cathie Ann Amelotte
Cathie Ann Amelotte is the Artist of the Month at The Blue Sea Artisans gallery in Keauhou.
Amelotte is one of the original members of the co-op, which was established in Kona over a decade ago. The gallery offers unique artwork created in our community by resident artists who love and respect the beauty of their home.
Amelotte, having lived on the island for over 40 years and having a background in local nonprofit organizations, embraces the theory of working together and supporting small business and the many talents found here on our island.
She is a lover of vintage and previously loved items. Begin Anew, her jewelry line, combines antique and heirloom components with new gems and beads creating a blend of the past and present. Her objective is to create a blend of unique vintage beads not found in current designs and to keep the cost affordable.
“Crystals are my absolute favorite item to use in my art,” she said. “To me, they hold the magic and mystery of decades of color and light. All you have to do is watch the expression of a child as rays of brilliant colored light swirl in the sunlight to know that there is something amazing contained in that glass – I’ve witnessed it for generations.”
Amelotte will be holding classes in 2020 at the gallery.
The Blue Sea Artisans is located at the Keauhou Shopping Center, Courtyard,78-6831 Alii Dr. in Kailua-Kona. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays.
Info: 329-8000.
Pictures Plus hosts Collective Synergy 2020 show
“Collective Synergy 2020,” an exhibition by South Kona Artists Collective — SOKO — will feature the diverse art a group of local artists and the public is invited to join them for the opening reception.
The event will take place 5-7 p.m. Jan. 11 at Pictures Plus in Kailua-Kona.
Inspired by the natural beauty of Hawaii, SOKO artists will be showing a wide range of art, including watercolors, photography, woven and natural fiber art, woodcut prints, ceramics, jewelry, woodworking, mosaics and sculpture. All art will be available for purchase.
SOKO is a group of artists who came together to expand their creative vision and generate events that support artists and delight art lovers.
The exhibition runs Jan. 11-24 at Pictures Plus, 75-1006 Henry St., and will be open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Info: sokoartists.com